Cam action handle for metal snakes



P 1962 H. c. STEWART 3,053,507

CAM ACTION HANDLE FOR METAL SNAKES Filed June 15, 1960 IN V EN TOR.

\ HAROLD c. STEWART BY v II I3 8 FIG. 5 ATTORNEY States Patent 3,053,507 CAM ACTION HANDLE FOR METAL SNAKES Harold C. Stewart, RFD. 1, Cortland, Ohio Filed June 13, 1960, Ser. No. 35,826 4 Claims. (Cl. 254134.3)

This invention relates to a device for handling a flat metal wire known as a snake.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device having a member for engaging and moving metal snakes positioned therethrough.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a handle for holding and selectively engaging a metal snake.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device for holding and selectively engaging a metal snake while advancing it in either one of two directions.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and efiicient device for handling a metal snake which incorporates a selectively positioned cam enabling the snake to be moved forwardly or backwardly by the device.

The handle for metal snakes disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to such devices in that the device disclosed herein incorporates a passageway for the metal snake therethrough and positions a novel cam member in axial alignment with said passageway so that a metal snake positioned in said passageway in said handle may be engaged by the cam and moved in either direction depending upon the positioning of the cam.

The cam is mounted in the device in an adjustable manner so that it may be positioned to engage the snake and move it with the handle when the handle is moved forwardly or it may alternately be positioned to engage the snake and move the snake with the handle when the handle is moved backwardly. Those skilled in the art will recognize that such a device is advantageously used in feeding a metal snake through a conduit or withdrawing it therefrom or in moving a metal snake relative to a reel.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the handle for a metal snake showing a section of metal snake positioned therethrough.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged exploded detailed view of a portion of the handle for a metal snake shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the handle for a metal snake shown in FIGURE 1 showing a cam in non-registering position.

FIGURE 5 is a detail of a portion of the handle for a metal snake shown in FIGURE 1 and showing a cam positioned for moving the metal snake with the handle when the handle is moved backwardly or to the left.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular it will be seen that the handle for a metal snake comprises a tubular handle having a longitudinally extending slot 11 in one side thereof. The right end of the tubular handle 10 joins an offset flattened portion 12 which has a tubular semi-conical member 13 positioned on its outermost end in axial alignment with the tubular handle 10 and which tubular semi-conical member 13 is provided with a longitudinally extending diagonal slot 14. The tubular semi-conical member 13, the upper surface of the offset flattened portion 12 and the passageway through the tubular handle 10 are in axial alignment so that a metal snake S may be positioned longitudinally therethrough so as to be retained therein. The flattened portion 12 has an offset upright extension 15 as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, one side 16 of which is flat and the opposite side thereof is formed in an annular ring 17 defining an annular recess 18 therein. A shaft 19 is positioned through an opening in the upright extension 15, which opening is horizontally disposed and positioned in spaced relation relative to the upper surface of the flattened portion 12 of the device. A cam 20 is secured to one end of the shaft 19 and is positioned against the flattened surface 16 of the upright extension 15 as best seen in FIG- URES 1, 3, 4 and 5 The cam 21) comprises a circular member having a flattened area 21. The curved periphery of the cam 20 is knurled and it will be seen that the cam 20 may be positioned so that the flattened area 21 thereof is in lowermost position as in FIGURE 4 of the drawings where the metal snake S will not be engaged thereby and is therefore capable of free movement in either direction through the handle.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the cam 20 is illustrated as being turned so that the metal snake S will be moved forwardly of the handle or to the right as shown by the arrow when the handle 10 is moved in the same direction. In FIGURE 5 of the drawings the cam 20 is so positioned that the metal snake will be moved backwardly, to the left, when the handle 10 is moved in that direction.

The opposite end of the shaft 19 extends through the upright extension 15 and into the annular recess 18 and has a transverse slot therein in which one end of a coil spring 22 is positioned, the spring being retained in position on the shaft 19 by a nut 23 threaded on the end of the shaft 19 as best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The opposite outer end of the coil spring 22 is outturned as bmt seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings and engaged in a slot 24 in the rim 25 of a knob 26 which is adapted to be held in rotatable position partially within the annular recess 18 by an apertured disc 27. A plurality of fasteners 28 are positioned through the disc 27 and engage threaded openings 29 in the upright extension 15. A portion 30 of the rim 25 is cut away as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings and a set screw 31 positioned through the lower part of the upright extension 15 and into the cut away area 30 so as to limit the degree of rotation of the knob 26.

The inner face 32 of the rim 25 of the knob 26 is provided with three depressions 33 corresponding with the three positions of the cam 20 as seen in FIGURES 1, 4 and 5. A spring pressed ball 34 caged in an opening 35 in the upright extension 15 as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 registers with the depressions 33 to hold and index the knob 26 relative to the upright extension 15 and thereby positions the cam 20 in spring tensioned relation thereto.

In operation, the metal shake to be handled by the device is positioned through the same as shown in FIG- URES 1, 3, 4 and 5 and if it is desired to move the metal snake in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 1 the knob 26 is turned to position the cam 20 in the position illustrated. The motion of the knob 26 is imparted to the spring 22 and conveyed thereby to the cam 20, the cam 20 therefore is always capable of being moved rela- Patented Sept. 11, 1962" tive to the knob 26 by turning it to compress or stretch the spring 22. When the knob is positioned as shown in FIGURE 1, such positioning will tension the coil spring 22 which in turn will hold the knurled surface of the cam 20 against the upper surface of the [metal snake S. By moving the handle for metal snakes in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 1, the metal snake will be grasped by the cam 20 and caused to move in the direction of the arrow along with the metal snake handle. The motion of the handle may then be reversed and moved to the left whereupon the cam 2% will move against the coil spring 22 and slide along the upper surface of the metal snake. Thus, reciprocal motion of the handle for metal snakes will move the metal snake to the right. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, the cam 20 is not in engagement with the metal snake S. As illustrated in FIGURE 5, the knob 26 has been turned 180 from the position in FIGURE 1 and the cam 20 has also moved a comparable distance, its opposite side is now engaged on the metal snake S and movement of the handle to the right will cause the cam 20 to tension the spring 22 and slide on the surface of the metal snake, while movement of the handle to the left will cause the cam 20 to engage the metal snake S and move the same to the left.

It will thus be seen that the handle for metal snakes disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention and having thus disclosed my invention, what I claim member having a slot longitudinally thereof and an offset flattened area at one end thereof with an upright extension at one side thereof, a shaft positioned transversely of said upright extension, a cam secured to one end of said shaft and positioned on one side of said upright extension and above said offset flattened area, a knob rotatably mounted on the other side of said upright extension with respect to said cam and a spring interconnecting said knob and the other end of said shaft whereby said cam may be repositioned relative to said flattened area.

'2. The handle for a metal snake set forth in claim 1 and wherein the cam comprises a circular element mounted off center on said shaft and having the peripheral edge thereof closest said shaft flattened.

1. A handle for a metal snake comprising a tubular 3. The handle for metal snakes set forth in claim 1 and wherein said knob has a plurality of recesses formed therein in circumferentially spaced relation and said upright extension has an opening therein, a spring pressed ball mounted in said opening for registering with said depressions to hold said knob relative to said upright extension.

4. A handle for a metal snake comprising a tubular body member having an L-shaped extension on one end, the top center of the horizontal portion of said L-shaped extension lying on the axial center line of said tubular member and a slotted tubular guide on said L-shaped member positioned in spaced relation to said tubular member with the passageway through said slotted tubular guide lying in axial alignment with said tubular memher, an annular depression formed in one side of the vertical portion of said L-shaped member, an opening positioned through said vertical portion centrally of said annular depression, a shaft in said opening, a cam secured to one end of said shaft and positioned above the top center surface of the horizontal portion of said L-shaped member, said cam comprising a circular member mounted in off center relation on said shaft and having the portion of its peripheral edge closest said shaft flattened and the remainder of said surface knurled, a knob rotatably mounted on the opposite side of said vertical portion of said L-shaped body member with respect to said cam and partially Within said annular depression, a resilient member secured to said shaft and to said knob and positioned in said annular depression, releasable means in said vertical portion of said L-shaped body member engaging said knob and acting to hold said knob in selected position relative to said vertical position of said L-shaped body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,434,802 Bear Nov. 7, 1922 1,815,433 Dunagan July 21, 1931 1,880,431 Goodall Oct. 4, 1932 2,498,626 Bivans Feb. 21, 1950 2,736,532 Hughes Feb. 28, 1956 

